Highway (Map)
Highway is a map that was released on the 28th of July 2009 in the Dark Corners or All-Fronts Collection DLC. Strategy Highway is a somewhat confusing map thanks to its geography and layout, but an experienced player can use this to their advantage, as the map leaves quite a few places for ambushes. Its circular nature also makes it easy to evade opponents and pick them off unexpectedly from the vantage points near the pistol spawns, behind the statues in the corridors leading into the main area, and the tight entranceways on the lower levels. The pair of Longshot/Torque spawns run parallel to one another and make for interesting sniper battles across the gaps, in which the winner will be able to take his prized weapon down below and use it at other vantage points. Be aware that the Mortar is suicide if used in its spawn location (this is effectively the only map where the Mortar spawns beneath a roof) so you'll have to carry it out a bit to use it. It is, however, effective at bombarding enemies shelled up at either of the sniper spawns, out in the open below, or fighting in the small hallway for the Scorcher/Boomshot. Thanks to its general layout, this map is not well-suited to objective games, as it is difficult to carry the meatflag in Submission without being ambushed, leaders in Guardian have no safe place to really hide, and Annexes are very hard to claim since many of them are open on multiple sides to the power weapons (particularly the grenade spawn and mortar spawn). This map is, however, ideal for kill-based games such as Warzone and Wingman. Environment As the name suggests, Highway is set at a Locust outpost overlooking the Locust Highway to Nexus. It is a complicated map full of archways, corridors and narrow staircases, meaning it is likely a holding fort for Locust troops defending the highway from invasion. Occasionally, legions of troops leading a Brumak can be seen and heard on the Highway. Weapons Near each team's spawn point around the corner is an alternating Boltok/Gorgon spawn, which a player should easily be able to grab before the fighting begins and then take into the narrow hall nearby to engage the enemy. At the end of each team's hallway is a large open area with little cover, where a Mortar/Mulcher spawns off to the side behind a small wall and can be carried out to use in the confusion. Down the stairs from that area is a small hallway connecting each stairway where the Scorcher/Boomshot spawns, and just past that point in the small underpass lies a Frag/Ink spawn out in the open. From each side of this underpass is a pair of parallel dead end stairways leading up to a Longshot/Torque spawn, overlooking the Highway itself. Horde Horde can be either very effective or hopelessly disorganized on this map, depending on the level of teamwork. Good teams will stick together and scout the map for enemies as a group, taking out the Locust as they spawn. A good team should have little problems doing this, since the small spaces only allow a couple of enemies at a time to be within range of shooting anyone, and Cyclops and Grenadiers, two particularly nasty Locust on this map, won't live long enough to be a problem. The team can then retreat to either sniper stairway and set up shields, taking cover along the stairs and suppressing enemies with gunfire while the topmost teammate snipes or uses the Torque Bow during tougher rounds. However, bad teams won't live long. If separated from one another too often, the Locust will ambush and pick off players, especially if they're caught unexpectedly in the open upper areas such as the overlooking platforms near each pistol and the open space near the Mortar. Individually, the going is very rough since the Locust can spawn nearly anywhere. Be sure to stick together and attack strategically or else even early waves will prove difficult. Trivia *Afraid of the Dark is an achievement that requires one game on multiplayer from this map to receive. *Did Not Go Gentle is an achievement that requires one win on multiplayer from this map to receive. *Ride It All Night Long is an achievement one can get by completing waves 1-10 of Horde.